This Week at Ascension + August 24, 2022

"Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness." - Psalm 96

Wednesday, August 24

Saint Bartholomew the Apostle

Evening Prayer at 6:00 p.m. via ZOOM

In-person and Live-streamed Said Mass at 6:30 p.m.

Unction will be offered for those who desire it.

VIA YOUTUBE or FACEBOOK LIVE

Image: Saint Bartholomew, Anthony van Dyck (1599-1641)

Sunday, August 28

The Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost

Proper 17C

8:30 a.m. Morning Prayer via ZOOM

9:00 a.m. In-person Sung Mass

with Organ and Hymns

11:00 a.m. In-person & Live-streamed

Solemn High Mass

Click to join us VIA YOUTUBE or VIA FACEBOOK LIVE

The 11 a.m. Order of Worship may be found here.

Image: Invitation to the feast, 1899 by Eugène Burnand (1950-1921)

Being an Anglican

In a Facebook group that I follow, a long thread of commentary developed from a post looking for information. It was interesting to me that the contributions to the thread were mixed: one part being very pastoral, the other being doctrinal/theological.

The original post was made by a woman who had recently lost her husband. In her grief, she stopped receiving communion, and she asked if The Episcopal Church believed in transubstantiation.

About half of the responses acknowledged her loss and offered prayers and comfort. The other half rose to a spirited debate about what we believe. Our stated belief is that Christ is present in the elements of the Eucharist. We don’t say how that happens, what it is really like, or anything farther. That leaves a lot of territory uncharted.

We live in a big tent. There’s room for everyone. You can believe that the elements of the Eucharist are symbols of Jesus’ body and blood. You can believe that the elements of the Eucharist contain the real presence of Jesus. You can believe that the elements of the Eucharist are Jesus’ body and blood. Someone might say that you’re wrong, but that’s a bridge too far.

Over the past decades, there’s been a growing animosity between provinces of the Anglican Communion. It has surfaced over topics such as the ordination of women, ordination of LGBTQ+ persons, and same gender marriage. A schism in the Anglican Communion has been forecast by some, pointing to these issues as “irreconcilable.”

This year’s Lambeth Conference had a lot of the same posturing that I’ve come to expect. Positions have moved to extremes, not unlike what we experience in the U.S. political scene. This year, though, something happened. The bishops actually talked with each other. They didn’t agree on viewpoints, but I think they began to understand that living in this big tent called Anglicanism means we must be present for, listen to, and love each other. 

There are many sins that need to be reconciled: Colonialism, paternalism, patriarchy; the list is long. It is my prayer that the communion may be strengthened by the relationships that were formed at Lambeth, that the conversations will continue, and that our corporate “becoming” the Body of Christ will be the unity that keeps us all in that big tent.

—Fr. Heard

Fall Programs at Ascension

While the parish has been experiencing its typical summer down time, I’ve been busy planning for our fall together. As I begin to embark on my second year with you all (hard to believe!), I’ve been focusing on providing monthly opportunities for spiritual formation and for Christian education each month during our program year as well as chances for fellowship and fun. I’m delighted to share with you all what we have planned for September:

Church music of the Elizabethan Era to the Commonwealth with David Schrader

Tuesdays, Sept. 6, 13, 10

on ZOOM at 7 p.m.

• September 6th—We’ll explore the pre-Reformation rite before the Henrician reforms of the 1530's and 1540's. We’ll examine the works of Thomas Tallis whose remarkable career lasted through four monarchs. What was the role of music in the church during the pre-Henrician times? How did it differ from music for the court of Edward VI? Why did the music of John Merbeck change so radically during the reign of Edward VI?
• September 13th—Music during the reign of Elizabeth I (1559-1603) The Act of Uniformity produced an uneasy but stable peace. We’ll focus on William Byrd as he composed music for both the Latin and English rite. We'll hear keyboard music from the period, especially from a collection of pieces compiled by an English recusant Catholic, Francis Tregian. We'll also explore the music of Orlando Gibbons, who died the same year as James I (1625).
• September 20th—The last session will focus on the gradual erosion of the reign of Charles I (1625-1649), his tastes, and the complete dissolution of the Anglican Church and its music under the Lord Protector, Oliver Cromwell, and then the restoration of 1661, when Anglican worship was restored. We'll discuss the music and esthetic of Charles II and the musicians who served him, including Pelham Humphrey, and Henry Purcell.

Bible Study

Fridays beginning Sept 9

On Zoom at 10 a.m.

In September we will study the Book of Revelation in collaboration with a group from St. Chrysostom’s.

Life of the Beloved Half-Day Retreat

Saturday, September 24

8 a.m. to noon

Inspired by Henri Nouwen’s important text, we’ll reflect on how we are each God’s beloved and how to live with this knowledge.

In October, we’ll do pet blessings in honor of St. Francis on Saturday, October 9 and provide hospitality and blessings to runners and spectators of the Chicago Marathon the next morning. We have also been invited by Church of the Atonement to participate in a half-day retreat on Anglo Catholicism currently planned for Saturday, October 15. In November, we’ll spend a few weeks talking about death, and specifically our own and how to prepare ourselves and our loved ones for it both spiritually and practically.

More details will follow on all of the above events and opportunities as we move into fall. I look forward to continuing to grow in faith with you.

—Mtr. Murphy-Gill

Consecration of the 13th Bishop of Chicago

17 September 2022 is still a few weeks away, but the consecration of our next Bishop Diocesan is eagerly anticipated. We have a delegation of folks from Church of the Ascension to participate in this important event in the life of our diocese. Led by Mtr. Meghan Murphy-Gill, our list will include: 

• Sean Hansen
• Avril Hector
• Lynette Hector
• Ken Kelling
• George Dante Pineda
• Chris Raymond
• Dan Stell

Andrew Smith will be waiting in the wings in the event that someone needs to drop out.

Please keep our delegation, our bishop-elect, our diocese, and The Episcopal Church in your prayers.

Delegates to Diocesan Convention

The Vestry will elect delegates to our diocesan convention at it’s September meeting. If you are interested in being considered to serve the parish in this important ministry, please contact one of the Vestry or one of the clergy and make your interest known.

Communion in Both Kinds

For Wednesday evening and red-letter day services, the chalice has been shared with those present. There has been no guidance at a diocesan level for a couple of months and it is reported that there are other parishes that are and have been receiving in both kinds for some time. With Bishop Martins’ encouragement, Fr. Heard elected to make communion in both kinds available to the parish last Sunday.

Following the distinctly Anglican maxim, “All may, some should, none must”, choosing to receive the chalice is an individual decision. Should you choose not to receive, please cross your arms on your chest and remain in place until the minister has offered the words of reception, “The Blood of Christ, the cup of salvation.” This is the custom for those in recovery, that the chalice has been offered, and they elect not to receive.



If you have questions or concerns, please speak with Fr. Heard.

Ascension Heritage Conversations

The interim and transition work in a parish begins with an exploration of the history and heritage of the institution. We are the culmination of our beginning and the development of the culture that has brought us from that first Sunday of 1857 to who and where we are today. Our beginning was rocky, and beset with difficulties as well as triumphs. Through the years, the events in the life of Ascension have formed us, and at the same time, burdened us with recollections of the difficult times.

Beginning in September, we’ll combine the 9 o’clock coffee hour with a time to talk through what’s happened in the past and think about how it shapes us today. In Saint Michael Hall, with folks from the 11 o’clock, I invite you to come, learn, and share in exploring our history. We’ll start on 4 September with an introduction and overview. We’ll take the 11th off, as I will be out-of-town, and resume on the 18th and 25th. I hope our time together will be a spark for more conversations as we think about who we, as the people of Ascension, are called to be and do for the advancement of the Kingdom of God.

—Fr. Heard

Prayer Requests

Organ and Choral Repertoire for August 28, 2022

For our prayers: Burton Nelson, Winslow, Pablo Illás, Victor Fernandez, LaVerne Saunders,

Beth Hall, Sue Lenz, Brenda Martins, Lee Gould, Gertrude Isaac, Marty Stenson,

Paula Clark, Bishop-elect, Bobby Morton, pastor

Anniversaries: Benjamin & Alexia Rivera, 8/22; David White & John West, 8/23

Requiescat in pace: Anthony Couchman, priest; Michael Paul Clark, Sr. 7/20/2022,

Lucy Valla, 8/21/2014; Dave Norén, 8 22/2010; Laurie Mezger, 8/25/1996;

Bruce Anderson Young, 9/25/2004

Rest eternal grant unto them, O Lord, and let light perpetual shine upon them;

May their souls and the souls of all the departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.